pahoehoe

Toes of a pahoehoe flow advance across a road in
Kalapana on the east rift zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Credit:
J. D. Griggs / U.S. Geological Survey

Pahoehoe is a Hawaiian term for basaltic lava that has
a smooth, hummocky, or ropy surface. A pahoehoe flow typically advances
as a series of small lobes and toes that continually break out from a cooled
crust. The surface texture of pahoehoe flows varies widely, displaying all
kinds of bizarre shapes often referred to as lava sculpture.